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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spring — of water
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — a division
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. firm — steady
  10. ball — a great time
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — the season
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. firm — a company
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — in control
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. firm — decided
  24. spring — a coil

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