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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. present — the time now
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. wake — a trail
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — on your feet

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