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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. roll — a cake
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. file — a line of people
  5. roll — a list
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bound — obliged
  13. file — a document
  14. bound — tied together
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bound — certain
  18. file — a tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. swing — music
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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