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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.

Make a worksheet

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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. clip — to cut
  4. suit — clothes
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. march — the month
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. present — a gift
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. clip — a video
  18. march — music
  19. suit — to fit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. present — the time now
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. suit — in cards
  24. clip — for paper

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