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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cap — a hat
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. plane — a tool
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cap — a lid
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. perch — the fish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cap — of ice
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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