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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ground — a position
  3. season — of the year
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — in sport
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ground — the earth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fork — in a road
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ball — a great time
  23. snap — to click
  24. tear — from crying

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