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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. last — final
  5. press — newspapers
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. land — a country
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a plant
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. root — the cause
  15. fall — to drop
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. root — of a word
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fall — the season
  21. press — to push
  22. last — finally
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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