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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. branch — a division
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lean — thin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. roll — a list
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fork — in a road
  18. suit — to fit
  19. lean — to bend
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — in cards
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. can — to be able to
  24. roll — on a roll

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