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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. firm — decided
  3. pass — a permit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ground — crushed
  7. craft — a skill
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. firm — steady
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ground — a position
  16. craft — boats
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. drill — army training
  19. firm — a company
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pass — to succeed

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