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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. track — a path
  4. branch — a division
  5. present — the time now
  6. track — a song
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. drill — army training
  10. spell — magic
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spell — a short time
  15. present — there
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stand — to bear
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. track — to keep track
  22. drill — the tool
  23. present — a gift
  24. drill — a practice

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