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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. row — to paddle
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. present — a gift
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fork — in a road
  9. band — a ring
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. present — the time now
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bank — for money
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. band — a music group
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. row — a line
  24. band — a rubber band

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