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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — the most important part
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. shower — rain
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kid — child
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. key — in music
  16. wax — to grow
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. tear — from crying
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — a division
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wax — in the ear

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