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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tear — from crying
  3. toast — bread
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. row — a line
  6. rule — government
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. last — to go on
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. last — final
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rule — a law
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ball — a great time
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. row — to paddle
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tear — from crying
  23. last — finally
  24. row — a quarrel

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