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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. branch — a division
  11. pop — soda
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hand — help
  14. pop — music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hand — in cards
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. tube — a container
  22. pop — to visit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. tube — the underground

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