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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. season — of the year
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. present — there
  10. branch — a division
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — in sport
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chair — a leader
  24. present — the time now

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