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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. shower — rain
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — soda
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rush — hurry
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. branch — a division
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pop — music
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. branch — of a tree

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