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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · game · drill · face · sharp · present · chair · stick

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. present — a gift
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. present — there
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. drill — army training
  14. game — a match
  15. drill — a practice
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. branch — a division
  18. chair — a leader
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. game — wild animals
  21. drill — the tool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. present — the time now

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