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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. row — a line
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — steady
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. row — to paddle
  22. season — in sport
  23. clip — a video
  24. deal — to handle

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