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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pop — soda
  4. bat — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. land — a country
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. tear — from crying
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. branch — a division
  14. land — to come down
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. land — ground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pop — to visit
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mouse — for a computer

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