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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rest — what's left
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. shower — rain
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. suit — in cards
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rest — a break
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. roll — a cake
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rest — what's left
  24. suit — to fit

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