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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rule — government
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. field — farmland
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fork — in a road
  13. field — for sport
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rule — a law
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wax — to grow
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — a subject
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lean — to bend
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — thin

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