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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rash — hasty
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. spell — letters
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rash — a series
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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