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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bound — certain
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stand — to bear
  10. track — a path
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bound — tied together
  23. track — a song
  24. rock — music

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