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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · pop · rush · snap · mark · fall · pit · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fall — the season
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pop — music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. snap — to click
  24. pit — a hole

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