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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. suit — in cards
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. present — the time now
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fine — all right
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — a series
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — a garden tool

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