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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cold — an illness
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rock — music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. wake — a trail
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cold — not warm
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. degree — an amount

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