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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. cell — a phone
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. swing — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cell — in biology
  23. swing — to play on
  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