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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cell — a phone
  3. can — a tin
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — a tin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cell — in biology
  23. suit — clothes
  24. fork — in a road

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