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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. key — for a lock
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. shower — to wash
  5. dip — to sink
  6. lean — thin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fork — in a road
  9. firm — a company
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. drill — army training
  15. lean — to bend
  16. shower — rain
  17. drill — the tool
  18. firm — decided
  19. wake — a trail
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. firm — steady

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