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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. suit — to fit
  8. snap — to click
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rest — a break
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. suit — clothes
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — what's left
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bark — of a tree

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