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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 124 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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — of water
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. roll — a cake
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spring — the season
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. branch — of a bank

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