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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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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rock — music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fork — in a road
  16. race — a contest
  17. saw — the tool
  18. race — humankind

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