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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lie — to recline
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fork — to eat with

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