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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: ground · hide · mouse · board · rest · row · stick · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — a committee
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — to get on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — a break
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fork — in a road
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mouse — the animal

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