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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. branch — a division
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. season — of the year
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to click
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mark — to pay attention

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