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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. drill — a practice
  4. firm — a company
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. present — a gift
  12. stand — to bear
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. tear — to rip
  16. firm — steady
  17. tear — from crying
  18. drill — army training
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tear — from crying
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. firm — decided

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