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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. deal — to handle
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a document
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fall — the season
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. file — a tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. file — a line of people

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