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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — goods
  3. clip — to cut
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — to push
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stock — shares
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. clip — for paper
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. clip — a video
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wound — an injury
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. branch — a division

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