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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 stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. charge — in control
  5. swing — music
  6. fall — the season
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stem — to come from
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. present — the time now
  24. fork — in a road

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