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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. root — the cause
  6. current — electric
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. land — to come down
  12. bound — certain
  13. current — of water
  14. kick — in football
  15. root — of a word
  16. land — a country
  17. fork — in a road
  18. land — ground
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. current — happening now
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bound — obliged

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