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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. staff — employees
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mug — a cup
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. content — the amount
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a face
  20. wound — an injury
  21. content — happy
  22. staff — a stick
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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