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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — boats
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. drill — the tool
  10. race — humankind
  11. kick — in football
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — to bear
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. race — the arms race
  20. dip — to sink
  21. race — a contest
  22. drill — army training
  23. fork — in a road
  24. kick — a thrill

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