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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 120 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. band — a music group
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. land — a country
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cue — a signal
  19. land — ground
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. band — a ring

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