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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  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