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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. mine — for digging
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kid — child
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rule — government
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. board — a committee
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. board — to get on
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fork — in a road

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