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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. march — the month
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. capital — money
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. snap — to click
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mark — a grade
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lie — to recline
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. calf — of the leg

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