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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kick — in football
  10. branch — a division
  11. kid — child
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. present — the time now
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. present — there
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fork — in a road

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