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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lean — thin
  3. object — an aim
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. sharp — clever
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. kick — in football
  8. object — a thing
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — to protest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — to bend
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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