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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. object — a thing
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. object — an aim
  24. arm — part of the body

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