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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wake — a trail
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. land — to come down
  8. wound — an injury
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. land — a country
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. land — ground
  24. deal — an agreement

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