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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pit — a hole
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. last — finally
  9. mate — a friend
  10. branch — a division
  11. last — final
  12. fork — in a road
  13. last — to go on
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. suit — in cards
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spring — of water
  18. mate — a partner
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — the season
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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