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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kick — in football
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — the underground
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. tube — a container
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mate — to breed
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mate — a friend

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