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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. bear — the animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. present — there
  5. branch — a division
  6. fork — in a road
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mug — a face
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mug — to rob
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mug — a cup
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. present — a gift
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bear — the animal
  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