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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.

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: branch · cold · rash · rest · saw · fork · suit · fan

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. suit — clothes
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rash — a series
  9. saw — the tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cold — an illness
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cold — not warm

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