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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fall — to drop
  4. firm — steady
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. row — a line
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. row — to paddle
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. net — for catching
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. firm — a company
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. firm — decided
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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