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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — a coil
  5. dip — to sink
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. deal — to handle
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spring — the season
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kick — in football
  24. spring — of water

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