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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. snap — to click
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. hand — help
  15. club — a group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. club — for golf
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hand — in cards

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