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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fork — in a road
  8. shower — rain
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fine — all right
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lie — an untruth

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