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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: cell · fall · bear · fork · bat · kick · firm · nail

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fork — in a road
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. kick — in football
  6. firm — a company
  7. fall — the season
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. firm — decided
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. firm — steady
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. kick — with a leg

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