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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: sharp · branch · cue · hide · wound · season · saw · fork

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cue — a signal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. season — in sport
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cue — for pool
  17. branch — a division
  18. season — of the year
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cue — a hint

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