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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.

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: present · lie · chest · branch · pass · bat · bank · saw

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. present — there
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — a box
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pass — a permit
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — to recline
  21. present — the time now
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. saw — the tool

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