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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. file — a tool
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. file — a document
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. swing — music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mug — a face
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. swing — in golf
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ball — a dance

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