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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bank — for money
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pass — a permit
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bank — of a river
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bank — for money
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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