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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. snap — to click
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. shower — to wash
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. branch — a division
  18. shower — rain
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mark — a trace
  24. row — a line

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