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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cold — not warm
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stock — shares
  17. cold — an illness
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stock — goods
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. lash — to lash out

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