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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. drill — the tool
  7. key — in music
  8. cell — in biology
  9. snap — to click
  10. rock — a stone
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. key — the most important part
  15. drill — army training
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rock — music
  18. cell — in a prison

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