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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. shower — rain
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ball — a great time
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — a division
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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