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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. firm — decided
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — steady
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — the season
  20. lie — to recline
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. firm — a company

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