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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — in a road
  6. drill — army training
  7. roll — a list
  8. hand — help
  9. shower — rain
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. hand — in cards
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fine — all right
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. stem — to come from

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