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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. snap — to click
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spring — of water
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cue — a signal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cue — for pool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. spring — the season
  18. charge — a price
  19. spring — a coil
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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