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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. object — a thing
  3. land — a country
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — an aim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — to protest
  17. squash — to crush
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. land — ground
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rush — hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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