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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. hand — help
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — in a road
  11. track — a song
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — to keep track
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lie — to recline
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. firm — a company
  24. track — a path

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