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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. present — a gift
  3. fine — all right
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fine — high quality
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — a partner
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. spring — a coil
  16. present — there
  17. spring — of water
  18. present — the time now
  19. spring — the season
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. jam — a tight spot

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