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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — a song
  6. fork — in a road
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. face — to confront
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. track — a path
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. nail — for a hammer

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