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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pass — a permit
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. charge — a price
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. shower — rain
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. charge — in control
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. branch — a division
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. shower — to wash
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. calf — a young animal

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