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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. object — an aim
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — to get on
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bore — to tire
  19. board — a committee
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. clip — a video
  23. object — to protest
  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