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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — of water
  7. fork — in a road
  8. kid — child
  9. toast — bread
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. current — happening now
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. current — electric
  17. kid — to tease
  18. last — finally
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. plane — a tool
  21. last — final
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. last — to go on
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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