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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. last — to go on
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. last — finally
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. last — final
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. roll — a list
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bore — to tire
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bore — gave birth

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