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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. march — the month
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. march — the month
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — music
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bear — to put up with

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