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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. clip — to cut
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. snap — to click
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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