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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. spring — of water
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spring — the season
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. snap — to click
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. net — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. spell — letters
  20. charge — in control
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. net — after costs
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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