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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rash — a series
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fine — all right
  17. bear — the animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rash — hasty
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bear — to put up with

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