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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — to bear
  13. present — the time now
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. branch — a division
  20. present — there
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rest — what's left

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