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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: fork · date · snap · lean · kick · ground · ruler · branch

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fork — in a road
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. snap — to click
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. branch — a division
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ground — a position
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ruler — a monarch

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