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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cold — not warm
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — steady
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cold — an illness
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rash — a series
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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