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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 120 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. scale — size or range
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. scale — in music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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