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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. rest — a break
  4. clip — a video
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. branch — a division
  13. spell — magic
  14. present — a gift
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mug — a face
  17. present — there
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. present — the time now
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. clip — for paper

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