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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. shower — rain
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. track — a song
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. land — to come down
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. land — ground
  20. kick — in football
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — a country
  24. fork — to eat with

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