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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fine — high quality
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chest — of your body
  10. row — to paddle
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chest — a box
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. sharp — exactly

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