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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. swing — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — certain
  19. fall — to drop
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fall — the season
  22. scale — in music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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