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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. track — a song
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. net — for catching
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — a division
  19. net — in sport
  20. foot — a measure
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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