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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. craft — boats
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. season — in sport
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. season — of the year
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. craft — a skill
  16. face — part of the head
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. face — to confront
  24. craft — a handicraft

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