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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — final
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. suit — in cards
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — in a road
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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