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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. object — to protest
  15. ground — the earth
  16. object — a thing
  17. wound — an injury
  18. field — farmland
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ground — a position
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ground — crushed

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