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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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Word bank
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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — a series
  3. saw — the tool
  4. track — a path
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. game — a match
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fork — in a road
  24. saw — the 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