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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — the sport
  18. object — an aim
  19. kick — in football
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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