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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. suit — to fit
  3. snap — to click
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fork — in a road
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. charge — in control
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. charge — electricity
  22. sharp — clever
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — a price

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