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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lie — to recline
  3. object — to protest
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. object — a thing
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — a break
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mug — a face
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mug — a cup
  18. drill — army training
  19. object — an aim
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stand — to bear

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