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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. last — to go on
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. track — a song
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cold — an illness
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. last — finally
  18. cold — not warm
  19. last — final
  20. track — a path
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. safe — out of danger

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