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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wind — moving air
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. season — of the year
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wind — moving air
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. season — in sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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