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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wake — a trail
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. snap — to click
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. spring — the season
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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