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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spring — of water
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spring — the season
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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