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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spring — of water
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. net — after costs
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. net — in sport
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spring — the season
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. net — for catching
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hide — to keep secret

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