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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chest — a box
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spring — a coil
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ball — a dance
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. spring — of water
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spring — the season
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. object — an aim
  22. branch — a division
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. object — a thing

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