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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. drill — army training
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fork — in a road
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. straw — a straw man
  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