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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chair — a leader
  5. spell — letters
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. shower — rain
  9. can — a tin
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. spell — magic
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rock — music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rock — a stone
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fork — in a road
  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