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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wind — moving air
  8. court — for sport
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rock — music
  13. court — of law
  14. mark — a grade
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rock — a stone
  23. toast — bread
  24. snap — to click

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