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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. object — a thing
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. current — of water
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. current — electric
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lean — to bend
  14. current — happening now
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — to protest
  17. snap — to click
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lean — thin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chip — in 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