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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: chip · shower · fork · wax · season · branch · suit · stick

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. season — of the year
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chip — to eat
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — to wash
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. shower — rain
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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