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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chair — a leader
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fall — the season
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chair — a professorship

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