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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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 — in a road
  2. season — in sport
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. last — to go on
  8. present — there
  9. last — finally
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. present — a gift
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. can — a tin
  16. season — of the year
  17. last — final
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. present — the time now
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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