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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. swing — in golf
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. branch — a division
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. file — a document
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. track — a song
  15. dip — to sink
  16. track — to keep track
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. swing — music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. file — a tool
  23. track — a path
  24. file — a line of people

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