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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. suit — to fit
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mate — a partner
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. rock — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bat — the animal
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fork — in a road
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mate — a friend

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