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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. saw — the tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — rain
  8. fork — in a road
  9. firm — decided
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. firm — steady
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. root — the cause
  18. band — a music group
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. root — of a plant
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. band — a rubber band

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