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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bass — low music
  4. object — to protest
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — a song
  7. staff — employees
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bass — the fish
  11. track — to keep track
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. staff — employees
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. object — an aim
  16. wound — an injury
  17. track — a path
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — a division
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bass — the instrument

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