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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. branch — a division
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. last — to go on
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pop — music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rash — hasty
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. last — finally
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. last — final
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. board — to get on
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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