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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — magic
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a dance
  9. date — the fruit
  10. ball — a great time
  11. toast — bread
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. spell — a short time
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — in a road

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