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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — boats
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wound — an injury
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. safe — out of danger

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