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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tear — from crying
  7. can — a tin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. tear — to rip
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bear — the animal

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