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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 124 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. craft — a skill
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. snap — to click

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