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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — a song
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. object — to protest
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a path
  8. wake — a trail
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. deal — to handle
  15. branch — a division
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. object — a thing
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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