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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. hand — help
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — of water
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. hand — in cards

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