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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rush — hurry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. charge — in control
  7. sharp — clever
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. charge — a price
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fork — in a road

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