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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 124 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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. face — to confront
  7. drill — army training
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fork — in a road
  14. face — to point toward
  15. band — a music group
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bass — the fish
  20. band — a ring
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. drill — a practice

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