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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. file — a document
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. present — a gift
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. file — a tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — clever
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pass — to spend time

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