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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — the month
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. march — the month
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. toast — bread

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