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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 124 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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. staff — employees
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. staff — employees
  9. cue — for pool
  10. shower — rain
  11. cue — a signal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hand — help
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cue — a hint
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. deal — to handle

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