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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — a skill
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. foot — a measure
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — electricity
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. charge — in control
  16. craft — boats
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — a division
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. straw — a straw man

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