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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — a division
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. net — after costs
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — in sport
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. stand — to bear
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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