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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fall — the season
  7. firm — a company
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — a container
  11. firm — steady
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — all right
  17. drill — army training
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. sharp — clever
  21. tube — the underground
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fall — to drop

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