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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bank — for money
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. object — to protest
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. object — an aim
  13. bank — of a river
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bank — for money
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. object — a thing
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. snap — to click
  23. content — happy
  24. branch — a division

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