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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 116 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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. key — in music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wake — a trail
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. tear — to rip
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. key — for a lock
  16. tear — from crying
  17. branch — a division
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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