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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — certain
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fall — the season
  24. hide — to keep secret

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