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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. prune — to trim
  5. branch — a division
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bore — to drill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. row — to paddle

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