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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bore — to drill
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — after costs
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — to bear
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tear — to rip

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