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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. deal — to handle
  4. firm — steady
  5. roll — a cake
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wake — a trail
  12. firm — decided
  13. drill — a practice
  14. roll — a list
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. firm — a company
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — army training
  19. fork — in a road
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lean — thin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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