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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · mark · branch · straw · sharp · ground · cell · safe

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cell — a phone
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mark — a grade
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cell — in biology
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. foot — a measure
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. ground — crushed
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mark — a trace
  17. sharp — clever
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ground — a position
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. safe — a strongbox

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