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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — in sport
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chest — of your body
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chest — a box
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — for paper
  11. key — in music
  12. season — of the year
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. clip — a video
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. key — the most important part

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