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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. firm — a company
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. face — part of the head
  15. band — a music group
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. face — to confront
  20. band — a ring
  21. firm — decided
  22. bat — the animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. fork — a garden tool

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