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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. snap — to click
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. charge — in control
  14. ball — a dance
  15. row — to paddle
  16. prune — to trim
  17. staff — a stick
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. staff — employees
  24. fork — in a road

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