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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mate — to breed
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fall — the season
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spell — magic
  18. press — newspapers
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — to push
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. branch — a division
  24. ball — a great time

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