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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bark — to shout
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fork — in a road
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. hand — in cards
  14. kick — in football
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — certain
  19. hand — help
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fall — to drop

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