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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. game — a match
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mug — a face
  8. game — wild animals
  9. face — to confront
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fork — in a road
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rash — hasty
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rash — a series
  17. swing — music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. swing — to play on
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mug — to rob

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