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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 116 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: saw · fine · bat · lean · fork · can · sharp · rule

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. lean — to bend
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — high quality
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bat — the animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lean — thin
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fine — all right
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rule — a law

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