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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rush — hurry
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mine — for digging
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wind — moving air

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