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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. tear — to rip
  6. key — in music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bore — to tire
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — to drill
  13. land — ground
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. tear — from crying
  16. key — the most important part
  17. object — a thing
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. can — to be able to
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. wound — an injury

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