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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. toast — bread
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mine — for digging
  19. present — the time now
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. present — a gift
  24. temple — a place of worship

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