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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mine — for digging
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. club — a group
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — all right
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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