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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wake — a trail
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bound — tied together
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. deal — to handle
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bound — certain
  23. rash — a series
  24. can — a tin

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