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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mark — a trace
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. net — after costs
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. net — for catching
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — to come from
  14. charge — a price
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. charge — in control
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. charge — electricity
  23. net — in sport
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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