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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fork — in a road
  3. swing — music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. swing — in golf
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tube — a container
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — a company
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. firm — decided
  24. tube — in a tire

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