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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. tube — the underground
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — a line
  7. clip — to cut
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. tube — a container
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. clip — for paper
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. branch — a division
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. clip — a video
  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