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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. roll — a cake
  4. present — a gift
  5. spell — letters
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spell — magic
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. roll — a list
  18. mug — a face
  19. branch — a division
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spell — a short time
  22. last — finally
  23. rest — a break
  24. mug — a cup

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