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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — to handle
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. branch — a division
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fork — in a road
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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