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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chest — a box
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — hurry
  5. toast — bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bank — for money
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. tube — a container
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. tube — the underground

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