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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: wave · kick · last · content · suit · fork · jam · rule

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rule — a law
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fork — in a road
  6. content — the amount
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. suit — in cards
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. last — final
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. content — happy
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. last — finally
  23. rule — government
  24. last — to go on

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