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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. drill — army training
  10. face — to point toward
  11. drill — a practice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — the tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. board — to get on
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. face — part of the head
  20. key — the most important part
  21. board — a committee
  22. fork — in a road
  23. key — in music
  24. face — to confront

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