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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — a thing
  5. snap — to click
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. file — a document
  8. prune — to trim
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. object — an aim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. current — of water
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. current — electric
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. object — to protest
  22. current — happening now
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — to sink

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