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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — to push
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bear — the animal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. kick — in football
  17. saw — the tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. sharp — clever
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. branch — a division
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — a thrill

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