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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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468
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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fall — the season
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pit — a hole
  8. snap — to click
  9. mug — to rob
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. face — to confront
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bound — certain
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — in a race
  21. face — to point toward
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mug — a face

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