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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fork — in a road
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. track — a song
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. snap — to click
  12. swing — music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a path
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — a friend
  19. track — to keep track
  20. swing — to play on
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. swing — in golf

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