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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. face — to point toward
  6. suit — clothes
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chest — of your body
  9. date — the fruit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. current — of water
  13. fork — in a road
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — clever
  16. face — to confront
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. current — electric
  19. chest — a box
  20. rush — hurry
  21. suit — in cards
  22. current — happening now
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fork — to eat with

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