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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 116 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: saw · hand · stick · branch · game · bound · hide · fork

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. branch — a division
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. game — wild animals
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hand — in cards
  17. game — a match
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — certain
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fork — in a road
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hand — help

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