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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chair — a leader
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tear — to rip
  5. present — the time now
  6. branch — a division
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. content — happy
  11. present — there
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — the season
  14. board — to get on
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fall — to drop
  17. present — a gift
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. content — the amount
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — a committee

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