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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chest — a box
  14. staff — employees
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. track — a song
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cap — a lid
  20. track — a path
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com