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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ground — a position
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hand — in cards
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. present — a gift
  18. kick — in football
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hand — help
  21. object — a thing
  22. ground — crushed
  23. branch — a division
  24. present — the time now

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