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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chip — to eat
  5. dip — to sink
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chest — a box
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — the time now
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chest — of your body
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. suit — to fit
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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