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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — a stick
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. staff — employees
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. scale — in music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. spell — magic
  24. racket — for tennis

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