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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. firm — decided
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. firm — a company
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — magic
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — to paddle
  16. sharp — clever
  17. firm — steady
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — letters
  20. staff — a stick
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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