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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. clip — a video
  4. cue — a hint
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fall — the season
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. shower — to wash
  16. clip — to cut
  17. shower — rain
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — for pool
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bore — to drill
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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