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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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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 · deal · bat · spell · face · stand · shower · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. face — part of the head
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — in a road
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bat — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stand — to bear
  19. shower — to wash
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spell — letters
  24. face — to confront

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