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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bound — obliged
  15. game — wild animals
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. branch — a division
  18. spell — magic
  19. tube — a container
  20. spell — letters
  21. game — a match
  22. squash — to crush
  23. spell — a short time
  24. squash — the sport

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