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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. firm — steady
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. game — a match
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wake — a trail
  13. kick — in football
  14. firm — a company
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — music
  24. fork — in a road

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