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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. branch — a division
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. hand — help
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. suit — to fit
  23. branch — of a tree
  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