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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lean — to bend
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. key — in music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. clip — for paper
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lean — thin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — the fish
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fork — in a road
  24. clip — a video

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