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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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468
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: object · branch · arm · wake · fork · saw · ball · fall

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. object — to protest
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. object — an aim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fork — in a road
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fall — the season
  24. object — a thing

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