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

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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