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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. object — an aim
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. object — to protest
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rest — what's left
  16. file — a document
  17. object — a thing
  18. rest — a break
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — money
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. file — a tool

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