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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. can — to be able to
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. track — a path
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. kid — child
  14. wind — moving air
  15. snap — to click
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. can — a tin
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. track — a song
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. prune — to trim
  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