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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · stick · arm · perch · lie · fork · drill · snap

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. perch — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. drill — army training
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. snap — to click
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lie — to recline
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — a garden tool

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