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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: jam · lie · bay · foot · branch · bark · fork · band

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — a division
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fork — in a road
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. band — a ring
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. band — a music group
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lie — to recline

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