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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spring — of water
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bound — certain
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bound — obliged
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. mark — a trace
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mark — to pay attention

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