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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fork — in a road
  3. board — a committee
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rule — government
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. clip — a video
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. clip — for paper
  14. board — to get on
  15. rule — a law
  16. clip — to cut
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pass — a permit
  19. kid — child
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fork — a garden tool

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