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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rock — a stone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tear — to rip
  12. clip — a video
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. key — in music
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. tear — from crying
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — for a lock
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. clip — for paper
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rock — music
  24. sharp — clever

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