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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. present — the time now
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — there
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — a series
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. present — a gift
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. rash — hasty
  24. arm — part of the body

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