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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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Word bank
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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: fan · stick · calf · sharp · drill · chair · fork · lash

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. drill — army training
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — a practice
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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