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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. content — the amount
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. craft — boats
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rash — a series
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. content — happy
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rock — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rock — to move gently

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