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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. scale — size or range
  5. branch — a division
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pop — soda
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pop — to visit
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cap — a hat
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — a container
  22. pop — music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. branch — of a tree

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