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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. clip — for paper
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mark — a trace
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. clip — a video
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. clip — to cut

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