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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. branch — a division
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. craft — boats
  8. last — finally
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rule — government
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rash — a series
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. last — to go on
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rest — a break
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — final

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