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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: branch · bear · rash · wave · stick · fork · dip · hand

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rash — a series
  20. hand — help
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. branch — a division
  24. bear — the animal

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