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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — a division
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pop — soda
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. degree — from a university
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bank — for money
  24. pop — music

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