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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. snap — to click
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. drill — army training
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. branch — a division
  9. tube — the underground
  10. season — of the year
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. root — of a word
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. season — in sport
  17. drill — a practice
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. root — the cause
  21. drill — the tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lash — an eyelash

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