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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. branch — a division
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. land — ground
  10. mine — for digging
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — to come down
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. spring — the season
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — in a road
  20. land — a country
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. safe — a strongbox

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