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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stem — to come from
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. club — for golf
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. club — a group
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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