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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to confront
  10. net — for catching
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stand — to bear
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. net — after costs
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fork — in a road

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