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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rock — a stone
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. chest — of your body
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. kid — child
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mate — a partner
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rock — music
  21. kick — in football
  22. mate — to breed
  23. chest — a box
  24. stand — to bear

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