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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rock — music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hand — help
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bear — the animal

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