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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — a tool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. content — the amount
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. content — happy
  12. last — final
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — in a road
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. kid — to tease
  21. can — to be able to
  22. staff — a stick
  23. last — finally
  24. plane — in geometry

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