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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.

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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: tear · cue · season · stick · fork · plane · mouse · last

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — a tool
  4. last — finally
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. last — to go on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. cue — a hint
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. season — in sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cue — for pool
  24. season — of the year

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