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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pit — in a race
  4. saw — the tool
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. roll — a cake
  8. suit — in cards
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fork — in a road
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. roll — a list
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. face — to confront

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