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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spring — the season
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. snap — to click
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — in sport
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fork — in a road
  22. spring — a coil
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. foot — the bottom

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