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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mate — to breed
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rock — music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mate — a friend
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. can — a tin
  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