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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. spring — of water
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. firm — decided
  9. spring — a coil
  10. season — of the year
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. plane — a tool
  14. season — in sport
  15. wind — moving air
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. spring — the season
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fork — in a road
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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