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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a face
  5. spell — letters
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spell — magic
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. present — a gift
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mug — a cup
  23. present — there
  24. lash — to lash out

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