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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 120 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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. root — the cause
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. root — of a word
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. can — to be able to
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — in a road
  13. branch — a division
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. root — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — to eat with

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