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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: ball · branch · firm · rush · fork · snap · last · bore

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. snap — to click
  9. firm — a company
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. last — finally
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — steady
  22. last — final
  23. fork — in a road
  24. firm — decided

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