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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. rest — a break
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. press — to push
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — of a river
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cell — in biology
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cell — a phone
  23. press — newspapers
  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