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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. firm — a company
  9. pit — a hole
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. firm — steady
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. firm — decided

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