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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. object — an aim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. object — a thing
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fork — in a road
  13. object — to protest
  14. pound — a weight
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. snap — to click
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fine — high quality
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. calf — a young animal

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