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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. cue — a signal
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. object — a thing
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cue — for pool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. charge — electricity
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pass — a permit
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. squash — to crush
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. charge — in control
  24. prune — to trim

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