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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bound — certain
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. shower — rain
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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