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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lean — to bend
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lean — thin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rash — a series
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rest — a break

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