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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fine — all right
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. land — ground
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — a country
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kick — in football
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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