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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — ground
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chest — a box
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. land — to come down
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — all right
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chest — of your body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. land — a country
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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