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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. object — to protest
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a line of people
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. file — a tool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. file — a document
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. object — a thing
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — an aim
  24. mate — to breed

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