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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cap — a lid
  7. chair — a leader
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fork — in a road
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chair — to sit on

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