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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rash — a series
  11. craft — boats
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — on the skin

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