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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — a practice
  3. suit — in cards
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. can — to be able to
  9. clip — a video
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. clip — to cut
  13. drill — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. branch — a division
  18. suit — to fit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. drill — army training
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. suit — clothes

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