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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 120 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: mate · fork · swing · nail · mug · ruler · fall · craft

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fall — to drop
  5. craft — boats
  6. mate — a friend
  7. swing — to play on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fork — in a road
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mug — a cup
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mate — to breed
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mug — a face
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fall — the season
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. swing — music

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