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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. branch — a division
  7. can — a tin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — letters
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mine — for digging
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spell — magic
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. object — an aim
  24. ground — a position

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