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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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