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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — in music
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. branch — a division
  10. hand — help
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mate — a partner
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. scale — for weighing

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