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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. branch — a division
  5. spell — a short time
  6. present — there
  7. spell — letters
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pass — a permit
  10. staff — employees
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spell — magic
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. race — a contest
  16. fall — the season
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. race — humankind
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pass — to succeed

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