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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. object — a thing
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cap — of ice
  8. branch — a division
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. tear — from crying
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. deal — to handle
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. object — an aim
  16. tear — to rip
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cap — a hat
  24. object — to protest

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