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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · stick · foot · fork · branch · bank · hand · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — a division
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bank — for money
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — a measure
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. foot — the bottom

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