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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. face — to confront
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. present — there
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — part of the head
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. present — a gift
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. face — to point toward
  19. key — in music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fork — in a road
  23. key — the most important part
  24. kick — in football

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