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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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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 · swing · cue · mug · hide · bark · last · snap

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. last — finally
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. last — to go on
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mug — a cup
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. last — final
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bark — to shout
  24. swing — music

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