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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wake — a trail
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. track — to keep track
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. firm — steady
  13. cold — an illness
  14. track — a song
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. track — a path
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rock — a stone
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rock — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fork — a garden tool

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