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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. hand — help
  3. stand — to bear
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mate — a partner
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mate — a friend
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. scale — size or range
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — to breed

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