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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — to protest
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. content — the amount
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mug — to rob
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. object — an aim
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. content — happy
  19. tube — the underground
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. object — a thing
  23. tube — a container
  24. branch — a division

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