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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ground — a position
  7. cap — a lid
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — a division
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — crushed
  24. sharp — clever

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