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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: suit · fork · season · branch · toast · rush · mine · cold

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mine — for digging
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cold — an illness
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. toast — bread
  9. cold — not warm
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. suit — to fit
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — hurry
  24. branch — of a bank

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