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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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 — a garden tool
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bound — certain
  9. firm — decided
  10. fine — all right
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spring — of water
  16. rock — music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. firm — a company
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lash — to lash out
  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