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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 120 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. 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fall — the season
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kid — child
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. shower — rain
  22. pit — in a race
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. safe — out of danger

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