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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stock — goods
  4. root — of a word
  5. branch — a division
  6. rest — a break
  7. hand — help
  8. rest — what's left
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. root — the cause
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stock — shares

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