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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. last — finally
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. last — to go on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. snap — to click
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mug — to rob
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. last — final
  24. mug — a face

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