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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. branch — a division
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. row — to paddle
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mate — a partner
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mate — to breed
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — a line
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tube — a container

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