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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. season — of the year
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. roll — a list
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. branch — a division
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. present — there
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. file — a document
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — in sport
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. roll — on a roll

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