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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pit — a hole
  15. swing — music
  16. rock — music
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — a stone

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