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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rule — government
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fine — all right
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rule — a law
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fall — the season
  14. craft — boats
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bowl — to roll

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