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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fork — in a road
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. row — a line
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fall — to drop
  17. row — to paddle
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. sharp — exactly

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