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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pop — soda
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. kick — in football
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — a song
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. track — a path
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pop — music
  24. fork — in a road

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