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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lean — thin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. shower — rain
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. date — the fruit
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rule — government
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rule — a law
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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