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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. race — a contest
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spell — magic
  13. race — the arms race
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. race — humankind
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. present — a gift
  19. spell — a short time
  20. present — there
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. fork — in a road

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