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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pop — soda
  3. toast — bread
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pop — to visit
  8. foot — a measure
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. row — to paddle
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spring — of water
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. spring — the season
  17. row — a line
  18. branch — a division
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — a coil
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pop — music

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