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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — after costs
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lie — to recline
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. drill — army training
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bore — to drill
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. fine — all right
  19. swing — music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. net — for catching

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