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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. branch — a division
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. firm — steady
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — magic
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — in a road
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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