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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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. object — an aim
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. band — a ring
  13. object — a thing
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mug — a face
  16. pop — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. pop — soda
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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