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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — to bear
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — in a road
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. date — the fruit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fan — a supporter

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