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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. firm — steady
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — the fish
  11. firm — a company
  12. season — of the year
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. season — in sport
  19. firm — decided
  20. wind — moving air
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. season — to add flavour

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