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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — to recline
  5. file — a document
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. court — of a king
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. court — of law
  14. bore — to tire
  15. file — a tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — thin
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lean — to bend
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bore — to drill
  24. court — for sport

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