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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mug — to rob
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mug — a face
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mug — a cup
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rock — music
  20. chest — a box
  21. stock — goods
  22. lean — thin
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. perch — the fish

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