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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 116 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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. tear — from crying
  7. club — for dancing
  8. branch — a division
  9. wax — to grow
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. race — the arms race
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. race — a contest
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. race — humankind
  21. land — ground
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. branch — of a tree

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