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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. swing — music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. shower — rain
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rest — a break
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. shower — to wash
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — for digging
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mate — a friend
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. swing — to play on
  24. trunk — of a car

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