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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mate — to breed
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. track — a path
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. branch — a division
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — of a tree

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