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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. present — there
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — the time now
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. tear — to rip
  11. net — in sport
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bank — of a river
  16. net — for catching
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — a gift
  21. bank — for money
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fork — in a road

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