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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rule — a law
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rule — government

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