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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — army training
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. drill — a practice
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mate — a partner
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mine — for digging
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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