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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — to bear
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — the season
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. branch — a division
  10. fall — to drop
  11. present — a gift
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. bound — tied together
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. present — there
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stand — on your feet

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