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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. vault — a safe
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. game — a match
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lie — to recline
  24. game — wild animals

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