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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 120 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 was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fall — the season
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fall — to drop
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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