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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. hand — help
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — low music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lie — to recline

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