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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. object — to protest
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. present — the time now
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — a gift
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — a thing
  18. mark — a grade
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mark — a trace
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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