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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. object — an aim
  7. lean — thin
  8. cue — for pool
  9. object — to protest
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bark — to shout
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cue — a hint
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — a thing
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cell — in biology

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