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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wake — a trail
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rush — hurry
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. kick — in football

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