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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. drill — army training
  3. key — in music
  4. clip — a video
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. clip — to cut
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. foot — a measure
  12. clip — for paper
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. drill — a practice
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rush — hurry
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lie — an untruth

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