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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wake — before a funeral

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