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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — a friend
  3. branch — a division
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — a container
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tear — from crying
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stock — goods
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — shares
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mate — to breed

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