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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to click
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. present — the time now
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. last — finally
  15. craft — boats
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — a grade
  18. present — a gift
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — a trace
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. present — there
  24. rest — a break

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