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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 116 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. drill — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kid — child
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. drill — army training
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fork — in a road
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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