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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. club — for dancing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. face — to confront
  6. bound — obliged
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lean — thin
  12. bound — certain
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for golf
  15. lean — to bend
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. club — a group
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rock — music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fork — in a road

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