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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: fork · hand · rush · mark · toast · chair · spell · calf

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mark — a grade
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — help
  19. toast — bread
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mark — a trace

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