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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rule — a law
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — government
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. hand — help
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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