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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 120 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rock — a stone
  5. branch — a division
  6. present — a gift
  7. fork — in a road
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lean — thin
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rock — music
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. press — to push
  24. lean — to bend

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