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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — in football
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wake — a trail
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. branch — a division
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mark — a grade
  15. snap — to click
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. branch — of a bank

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