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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. spell — a short time
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rush — hurry
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cue — a signal
  12. can — a tin
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. row — a line
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. spell — magic
  22. tear — from crying
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fork — a garden tool

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