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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rule — government
  5. fork — in a road
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rule — a law
  13. band — a ring
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stem — to come from
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. band — a music group
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rule — to rule out

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