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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. last — final
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — a grade
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. last — finally
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. last — to go on
  14. charge — in control
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. fork — in a road

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