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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. toast — bread
  7. craft — boats
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to click
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wake — a trail
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fork — a garden tool

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