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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fork — in a road
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rock — music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. content — happy
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. key — in music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. drill — army training
  16. content — the amount
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. drill — the tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fork — to eat with

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