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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rock — a stone
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rock — music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bore — to drill

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