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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fork — in a road
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — clothes
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. suit — in cards
  17. snap — to click
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wound — an injury
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rush — hurry
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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