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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. key — in music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. scale — size or range
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stand — to bear
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cue — for pool
  22. scale — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. leaves — to go away

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