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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: rule · fork · lash · lie · mine · deal · ground · can

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rule — government
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. deal — to handle
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rule — a law
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ground — the earth
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ground — a position
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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