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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. craft — boats
  7. swing — in golf
  8. present — a gift
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. swing — music
  13. branch — a division
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stand — to bear
  16. craft — a skill
  17. present — there
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. swing — to play on
  22. tube — a container
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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