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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. last — final
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bat — the animal
  6. last — to go on
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pop — soda
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mark — a grade
  14. charge — a price
  15. tear — from crying
  16. can — a tin
  17. charge — in control
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. last — finally
  24. charge — electricity

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