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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. field — farmland
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rush — hurry
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. field — a subject
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. tear — to rip
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to click
  24. ruler — for measuring

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