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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fork — in a road
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. last — to go on
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pop — soda
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bound — certain
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. last — final

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