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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitcher · lash · mug · perch · branch · march · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mug — to rob
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fork — in a road
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. march — the month
  12. branch — a division
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. march — the month
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mug — a face
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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