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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. kick — in football
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bore — to tire
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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