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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mate — a friend
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. object — an aim
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. object — a thing
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mate — a partner
  22. object — to protest
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fall — to drop

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