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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. object — an aim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. march — music
  14. sharp — clever
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. spell — magic
  23. lie — to recline
  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