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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitch — completely
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pop — soda
  21. rash — hasty
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pop — music

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