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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. saw — the tool
  12. land — ground
  13. rush — hurry
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. land — a country
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fork — to eat with

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