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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 116 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. lie — to recline
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — child
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. band — a ring
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lean — thin
  16. rock — music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rock — to move gently

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