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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fall — the season
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rule — a law
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a ring
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — to drop
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. rule — government

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