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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · hide · saw · mine · rock · rest · face · rash

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rash — hasty
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rock — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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