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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. content — the amount
  11. last — finally
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. last — to go on
  14. content — happy
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. last — final
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bear — the animal

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