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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. present — a gift
  3. net — in sport
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tube — the underground
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tube — a container
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. branch — a division
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. present — there

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