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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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. board — a committee
  4. rush — hurry
  5. craft — boats
  6. pop — music
  7. branch — a division
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pop — to visit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pop — soda
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wake — before a funeral

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