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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fork — in a road
  3. field — farmland
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cue — a hint
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bear — the animal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. cue — a signal
  12. present — a gift
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. present — the time now
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cue — for pool
  22. snap — to click
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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