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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: fork · bulb · foot · hide · fall · content · lash · bear

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. content — happy
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fall — to drop
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. content — the amount
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fall — the season
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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