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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lean — to bend
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — to get on
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lean — thin
  17. rock — music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fork — in a road
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. plane — a tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pound — a weight

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