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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. season — of the year
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. current — of water
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. season — in sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wound — an injury
  21. current — electric
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. current — happening now
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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