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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cell — a phone
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. present — the time now
  5. last — to go on
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bank — for money
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bank — of a river
  14. shower — to wash
  15. last — finally
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. last — final
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. shower — rain
  21. rock — music
  22. present — there
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — to handle

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