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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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Word bank
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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. swing — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — a series
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. row — a line
  15. rash — hasty
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rest — a break
  24. swing — in golf

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