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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. bound — tied together
  6. saw — the tool
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bound — obliged
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a ring
  11. branch — a division
  12. present — a gift
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spell — letters
  20. band — a music group
  21. bound — certain
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. branch — of a bank

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