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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. craft — boats
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bear — the animal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rock — a stone
  24. snap — to click

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