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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. fork — in a road
  20. face — to point toward
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spring — of water
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. calf — of the leg

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