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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fine — all right
  12. mine — for digging
  13. clip — a video
  14. branch — a division
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fine — high quality
  19. ground — a position
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. ground — crushed
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. season — in sport

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