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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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. snap — to snap out of it
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bark — to shout
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bear — the animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. snap — to click
  19. bear — the animal
  20. key — in music
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. craft — boats
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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