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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mark — a grade
  7. current — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. content — happy
  11. current — electric
  12. club — for golf
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. club — a group
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fall — the season
  18. current — happening now
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. content — the amount
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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