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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stock — goods
  5. branch — a division
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rash — a series
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fall — the season
  15. object — an aim
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. object — a thing
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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