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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mate — a friend
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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