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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — a gift
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. object — a thing
  6. sharp — clever
  7. present — there
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. net — for catching
  10. bear — the animal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. net — in sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. branch — a division
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. net — after costs

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