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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. march — the month
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. march — music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spring — the season
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. march — the month
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fork — a garden tool

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