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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. snap — to click
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. can — to be able to
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. dip — to sink
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mine — for digging

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