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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wake — a trail
  4. branch — a division
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spell — magic
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. wound — an injury
  11. staff — a stick
  12. track — a path
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. staff — employees
  19. spell — letters
  20. wound — an injury
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. suit — in cards
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. staff — employees

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