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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bulb — for light
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. face — part of the head
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cell — in biology
  24. face — to point toward

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