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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. file — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. file — a document
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cap — a lid

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