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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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468
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. file — a document
  15. season — in sport
  16. file — a line of people
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. game — a match
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. file — a tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. season — of the year

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