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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fine — all right
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rule — government
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wake — a trail
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. drill — army training
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rule — a law
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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