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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lean — thin
  8. board — a committee
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. season — in sport
  18. board — to get on

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