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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wind — moving air
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. file — a tool
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wind — moving air
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. dip — to sink
  20. season — in sport
  21. file — a document
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. dip — a sauce

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