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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. snap — to click
  7. scale — size or range
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — in music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mouse — for a computer

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