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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rash — a series
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. branch — a division
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rash — hasty
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pit — in a race
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. plane — a tool
  20. toast — bread
  21. shower — rain
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mine — for digging

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