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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. current — of water
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. spell — a short time
  8. chest — of your body
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chest — a box
  14. current — happening now
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spell — magic
  20. tube — a container
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bowl — a football final

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