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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spell — magic
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fork — in a road
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spell — letters
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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