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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. last — to go on
  5. spell — letters
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — magic
  8. kid — child
  9. spell — a short time
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. last — finally
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. last — final
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fork — in a road
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — to tease
  24. safe — a strongbox

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