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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. last — to go on
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. hand — help
  5. scale — in music
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hand — in cards
  11. last — finally
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fork — in a road
  15. last — final
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — to recline
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. trunk — of a car

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