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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. key — for a lock
  8. face — to point toward
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. key — in music
  19. face — to confront
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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