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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bore — to tire
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — in music
  20. march — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. march — the month
  23. fork — in a road
  24. march — the month

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