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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — to go on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — final
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mug — a face
  21. mark — a grade
  22. last — finally
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fine — all right

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