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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: lie · straw · net · bay · date · suit · fork · branch

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. branch — a division
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. date — the fruit
  5. net — in sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — for catching
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. net — after costs
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. suit — to fit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lie — to recline
  17. suit — in cards
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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