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

Word bank: branch · deal · key · foot · bore · tear · wave · fork

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. branch — a division
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fork — in a road
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. tear — to rip
  19. key — in music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. deal — a big deal
  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