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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. track — a path
  3. branch — a division
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — a practice
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hand — help
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. drill — the tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. present — there
  17. deal — to handle
  18. drill — army training
  19. hand — in cards
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — of a bank

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