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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. roll — a cake
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fork — in a road
  6. last — final
  7. roll — a list
  8. wound — an injury
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. last — finally
  12. branch — a division
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. hand — in cards
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. last — to go on
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hand — help

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