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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. ground — a position
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cell — in biology
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fall — the season
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. clip — for paper
  24. suit — clothes

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