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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bound — tied together
  4. file — a document
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spell — letters
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bound — certain
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spell — magic
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. file — a tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bound — obliged

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