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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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. shower — to wash
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chest — a box
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. shower — rain
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bound — obliged
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bound — tied together
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rest — a break
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bound — certain
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. sharp — with an edge

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