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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fork — in a road
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spring — of water
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. object — a thing
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. object — an aim
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. saw — the tool
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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