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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. staff — employees
  5. drill — a practice
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fork — in a road
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — to eat
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. drill — army training
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fork — a garden 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