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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — to drop
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fall — the season
  6. bore — to tire
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. snap — to click
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bore — to drill
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. press — to push
  18. fall — to drop
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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