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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. ball — a great time
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. branch — a division

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