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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. wind — moving air
  3. branch — a division
  4. present — a gift
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. present — there
  7. track — a path
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pop — soda
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pop — music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. present — the time now
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wake — a trail
  19. track — a song
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. track — to keep track
  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