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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. branch — a division
  3. drill — the tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. current — electric
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. drill — a practice
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. current — of water
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cold — an illness
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. current — happening now
  18. drill — army training
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. firm — steady
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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