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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bound — certain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. toast — bread
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rest — a break
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mate — a partner

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