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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. shower — rain
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. shower — to wash
  21. perch — the fish
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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