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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. face — to confront
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mine — for digging
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. board — a committee
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. board — to get on
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. degree — from a university

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