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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's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. club — for golf
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — part of the head
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. club — a group
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. face — to confront
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — a video
  23. face — to point toward
  24. clip — for paper

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