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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bat — the animal
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — army training
  12. can — to be able to
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. drill — a practice
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fork — in a road

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