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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · present · suit · hide · cold · fork · key · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rest — a break
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — an illness
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. suit — to fit
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. key — in music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cold — not warm
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. present — there
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rest — what's left

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