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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rest — what's left
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — shares
  13. rest — a break
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mine — for digging
  19. band — a ring
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. band — a music group
  24. mine — belonging to me

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