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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. net — for catching
  3. season — of the year
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wound — an injury
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — boats
  13. net — in sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. net — after costs
  24. ruler — for measuring

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