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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chest — a box
  10. kid — child
  11. chest — of your body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — the animal

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