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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kick — in football
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wax — to grow
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wax — in the ear

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