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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. drill — army training
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. branch — a division
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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