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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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Word bank
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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: fork · leaves · pop · wave · mouse · kick · shower · branch

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pop — to visit
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pop — music
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kick — in football
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. shower — rain

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