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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fall — to drop
  5. branch — a division
  6. fall — the season
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. swing — to play on
  12. current — of water
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. current — electric
  16. swing — in golf
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. current — happening now
  19. swing — music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. ball — a dance
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fall — to drop

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