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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a grade
  6. net — for catching
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. scale — in music
  11. net — after costs
  12. fork — in a road
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. tear — to rip
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. net — in sport
  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