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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 124 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mug — to rob
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rush — hurry
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mug — a face
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fork — a garden tool

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