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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. track — a song
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. shower — to wash
  18. track — a path
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — a division
  24. track — to keep track

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