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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. suit — in cards
  3. last — to go on
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — for catching
  7. last — final
  8. bank — of a river
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. net — after costs
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — finally
  14. spell — magic
  15. net — in sport
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. spell — a short time

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