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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. squash — to crush
  9. shower — to wash
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fork — in a road
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rock — music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. tear — from crying
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. shower — rain

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