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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. present — there
  7. bank — of a river
  8. root — of a word
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rest — a break
  16. clip — a video
  17. root — of a plant
  18. clip — for paper
  19. present — the time now
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — a gift
  23. root — the cause
  24. lash — an eyelash

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