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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — a break
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mate — a friend
  10. drill — the tool
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cue — a hint
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. drill — army training
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fork — to eat with

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