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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fork — in a road
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. content — happy
  12. land — a country
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. content — the amount
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. tear — to rip
  24. content — videos and posts

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