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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: hide · bear · fork · temple · branch · pound · suit · can

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. branch — a division
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. can — a tin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fork — in a road
  21. suit — clothes
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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