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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fine — high quality
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. roll — a list
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. branch — a division
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. branch — of a bank

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