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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. plane — a tool
  3. firm — steady
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fork — in a road
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. firm — a company
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. firm — decided
  16. content — the amount
  17. mate — a friend
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. tear — from crying
  24. nail — for a hammer

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