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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. suit — clothes
  6. last — final
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fork — in a road
  11. tear — from crying
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — in cards
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. last — to go on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. drill — army training
  21. tear — to rip
  22. drill — a practice
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — to fit

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