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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. staff — a stick
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. staff — employees
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. staff — employees
  17. fine — all right
  18. fork — to eat with

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