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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. present — a gift
  6. degree — an amount
  7. branch — a division
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. plane — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. present — there
  22. wake — a trail
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wake — before a funeral

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