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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — to eat
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chip — for betting
  20. branch — a division
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chip — in a computer

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