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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rock — music
  6. branch — a division
  7. rock — a stone
  8. race — a contest
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — decided
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fork — in a road
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. snap — to click
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. firm — steady
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. firm — a company
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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