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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. degree — an amount
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rock — a stone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. drill — army training
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wound — an injury

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