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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. tube — the underground
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. track — a song
  7. bore — to drill
  8. firm — steady
  9. last — finally
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. kick — in football
  14. bore — to tire
  15. last — to go on
  16. plane — a tool
  17. track — a path
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. firm — decided
  20. fork — in a road
  21. firm — a company
  22. tube — a container
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. last — final

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