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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. last — finally
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. last — final
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — to recline
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. track — a path
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. last — to go on
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. track — a song
  21. shower — rain
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — a supporter

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