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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: fork · cell · suit · snap · file · wake · pit · plane

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. file — a document
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. snap — to click
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pit — a hole
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pit — in a race
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. file — a 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