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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stock — goods
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — the fish
  5. present — a gift
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bass — low music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. present — the time now
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — a division
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stock — shares
  22. dip — to sink
  23. object — a thing
  24. present — there

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