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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fork — in a road
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — a grade
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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