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

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. snap — to click
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fork — in a road
  5. field — for sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. field — farmland
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. field — a subject
  14. branch — a division
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fall — the season
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rock — a stone
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rock — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. branch — of a bank

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