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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. spell — a short time
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. press — to push
  6. branch — a division
  7. file — a document
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spell — magic
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. file — a tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mark — a trace
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spell — letters
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fork — a garden 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