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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 ________________ with my boss today.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. can — a tin
  7. scale — in music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. row — a line
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spring — of water
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — size or range
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — the season
  24. row — to paddle

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