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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. capital — money
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. row — to paddle
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. row — a line
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. shower — to wash
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. firm — steady
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. capital — a city
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. firm — decided
  20. shower — rain
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. firm — a company
  24. hide — to keep secret

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