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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. can — a tin
  3. staff — employees
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. present — there
  10. file — a tool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fork — in a road
  13. present — the time now
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. file — a line of people
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lean — thin
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rush — hurry
  22. swing — music
  23. present — a gift
  24. file — a document

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