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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fork — in a road
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. saw — the tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wound — an injury

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