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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. track — a path
  4. board — to get on
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. clip — a video
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lean — thin
  16. track — a song
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fork — in a road
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. board — a committee
  24. date — the fruit

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