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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wind — moving air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — a permit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — for catching
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. net — after costs
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — a division
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — in sport
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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