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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bat — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — in a road
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cold — not warm

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