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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. march — the month
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — help
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bore — to drill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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