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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. last — final
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fine — high quality
  7. last — to go on
  8. drill — army training
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. branch — a division
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. last — finally
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fine — all right
  24. branch — of a tree

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