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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cold — not warm
  15. spring — a coil
  16. deal — to handle
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cold — an illness
  19. spring — the season
  20. lean — thin
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spring — of water
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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