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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. drill — army training
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bore — to drill
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. drill — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. press — to push
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fork — in a road
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. press — newspapers

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