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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. present — the time now
  11. branch — a division
  12. pop — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lean — to bend
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lean — thin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. present — a gift
  23. pop — soda
  24. hand — help

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