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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fine — all right
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ball — a dance

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