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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spell — magic
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ball — a dance
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. spell — a short time
  17. sharp — clever
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. date — the fruit
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. sharp — exactly

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