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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ground — crushed
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ground — a position
  12. bore — to drill
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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