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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. branch — a division
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mate — a partner
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. file — a tool
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. file — a document
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mate — a friend
  24. straw — dry grass

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