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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. board — a committee
  13. last — finally
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. dip — to sink
  19. last — final
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. deal — to handle
  24. last — to go on

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