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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — in a road
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spring — a coil
  15. shower — to wash
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. branch — a division
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. shower — rain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — for measuring

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