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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. present — the time now
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. present — there
  14. kid — to tease
  15. shower — rain
  16. chip — to eat
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kid — child
  22. present — a gift
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chip — for betting

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