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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. file — a tool
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. staff — a stick
  9. present — there
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stock — shares
  14. present — the time now
  15. branch — a division
  16. present — a gift
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. file — a document
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. staff — employees
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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