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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. clip — a video
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fall — the season
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. suit — in cards
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pound — a weight
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. clip — for paper
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fork — in a road
  24. suit — clothes

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