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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rock — a stone
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mug — a cup
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rock — music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mug — a face
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fork — in a road
  24. leaves — lets stay

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