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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: rash · fork · net · spring · charge · rock · snap · mark

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rock — a stone
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. net — for catching
  5. charge — in control
  6. net — after costs
  7. charge — a price
  8. spring — of water
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spring — the season
  17. rock — music
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. net — in sport
  21. snap — to click
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. mark — a grade

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