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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. net — in sport
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. drill — the tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. branch — a division
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. drill — a practice
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. toast — bread
  22. drill — army training
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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