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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rash — a series
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. branch — a division
  14. bear — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. drill — army training
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — to eat

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