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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. present — the time now
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — a division
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. game — wild animals
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bank — of a river
  16. present — there
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. present — a gift

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