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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. last — finally
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rash — a series
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — to go on
  15. ground — a position
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. key — in music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wound — an injury
  20. last — final
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ground — the earth
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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