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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fork — in a road
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — of water
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — to handle
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. current — happening now
  15. sharp — clever
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — electric
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. object — an aim

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