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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fine — all right
  5. plane — a tool
  6. content — happy
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. present — there
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. content — the amount
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fine — high quality
  15. present — the time now
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. present — a gift
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rest — a break
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bark — to shout
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rest — what's left

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