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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. net — after costs
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rule — a law
  14. net — in sport
  15. kid — child
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kid — to tease
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. rule — government
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. net — for catching

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