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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bank — of a river
  4. squash — to crush
  5. perch — the fish
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bank — for money
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the sport
  11. tube — a container
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bank — for money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fork — in a road
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. sharp — clever
  24. coach — a trainer

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