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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. key — for a lock
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. key — the most important part
  8. degree — temperature
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. key — in music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. degree — an amount
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. degree — from a university
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. hide — to keep secret

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