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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kick — in football
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bore — to tire
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. spell — letters
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bore — to drill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. craft — boats
  23. spell — magic
  24. kick — a thrill

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