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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.

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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rock — music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — for dancing
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. club — for golf
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fork — in a road
  17. branch — a division
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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