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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. object — to protest
  11. mug — a cup
  12. present — the time now
  13. mug — to rob
  14. object — an aim
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mug — a face
  17. race — a contest
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — a gift
  20. race — humankind
  21. object — a thing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. present — there
  24. saw — the tool

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