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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spell — a short time
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. bound — certain
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. branch — a division
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. bound — tied together
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — government
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spell — magic
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. present — a gift
  24. spell — letters

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