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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. drill — army training
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bank — of a river
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rash — a series
  24. leaves — of a tree

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