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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 120 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. clip — for paper
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — shares
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. press — newspapers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. stock — goods
  20. clip — to cut
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fork — in a road
  23. clip — a video
  24. fan — a supporter

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