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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. drill — the tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. row — a line
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fork — in a road
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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