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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. press — a publisher
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wound — an injury
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. press — to push
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. race — a contest
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tube — a container
  24. nail — for a hammer

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