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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rest — a break
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to click
  7. firm — a company
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wake — a trail
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. nail — for a hammer

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