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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. net — after costs
  8. dip — to sink
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. net — in sport
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. net — for catching
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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