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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. face — part of the head
  4. staff — employees
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — a stick
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fork — in a road
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. face — to confront
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. face — to point toward
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. staff — employees
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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