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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. date — the fruit
  7. toast — bread
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. tear — to rip
  12. spring — the season
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. spring — a coil
  17. tear — from crying
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. branch — a division
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bowl — a dish

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