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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 116 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. file — a tool
  3. bound — tied together
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ground — the earth
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. file — a document
  16. snap — to click
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. ground — a position
  20. bound — certain
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. land — ground
  23. ground — crushed
  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