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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. vault — a safe
  6. face — to point toward
  7. race — humankind
  8. can — a tin
  9. face — to confront
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rule — government
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fine — all right
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. race — a contest
  23. rule — a law
  24. can — to be able to

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