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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cold — an illness
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. club — a group
  6. bank — for money
  7. club — for dancing
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. cold — not warm
  14. club — for golf
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. firm — steady
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bank — of a river
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. safe — out of danger

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