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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. file — a tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. season — in sport
  7. rock — a stone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. file — a line of people
  10. season — of the year
  11. last — to go on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a document
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. squash — the sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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