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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. suit — in cards
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. sharp — clever
  14. track — a path
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — a song
  24. fork — in a road

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