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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tear — from crying
  5. land — ground
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. suit — in cards
  10. land — a country
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. land — to come down
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mouse — for a computer

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