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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. drill — army training
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lean — thin
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to bend
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. drill — a practice
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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