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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. branch — a division
  3. mine — for digging
  4. suit — to fit
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fork — in a road

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