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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. branch — a division
  6. date — the fruit
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. current — electric
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. current — happening now
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. current — of water
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — in a road
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — a tool

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