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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. last — final
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. last — finally
  13. row — a line
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. press — newspapers
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — to go on
  21. press — to push
  22. bass — low music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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