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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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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — all right
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kick — in football
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fine — a penalty

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