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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. charge — in control
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bore — to tire
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lean — thin
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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