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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — to breed
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. toast — bread
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mate — a friend
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. firm — decided
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. present — the time now
  16. firm — steady
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. snap — to click
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chest — a box

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