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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. branch — a division
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. suit — clothes
  6. last — finally
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. last — to go on
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. last — final
  18. suit — in cards
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. suit — to fit

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