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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cue — a hint
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rash — a series
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. lie — an untruth

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