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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. clip — for paper
  6. object — to protest
  7. board — to get on
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. clip — a video
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. firm — a company
  13. staff — employees
  14. clip — to cut
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — a committee
  19. object — a thing
  20. fork — in a road
  21. object — an aim
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. staff — a stick

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