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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 120 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: bulb · swing · deal · chest · branch · fork · saw · mug

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mug — a face
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mug — to rob
  12. swing — music
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chest — a box
  15. branch — a division
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. branch — of a tree

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