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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 120 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
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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: mate · rock · cap · row · fork · season · hand · nail

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mate — a partner
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cap — a hat
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — a line
  12. hand — help
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mate — to breed
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rock — music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fork — a garden tool

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