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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. root — of a word
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. present — a gift
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. land — ground
  8. root — the cause
  9. land — a country
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. root — of a plant
  13. present — there
  14. land — to come down
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wound — an injury
  18. branch — a division
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. march — the month

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