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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — a position
  4. branch — a division
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ground — the earth
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rule — a law
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ground — crushed
  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