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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pit — in a race
  11. staff — employees
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. spell — letters
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. staff — employees
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. drill — a practice
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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