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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. branch — a division
  12. mug — a cup
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. file — a tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fork — in a road

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