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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cue — a signal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fine — all right
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cold — not warm
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bulb — for light
  18. row — a line
  19. fine — high quality
  20. sharp — clever
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lash — an eyelash

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