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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 · toast · ruler · mate · vault · wake · snap · pop

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pop — music
  5. snap — to click
  6. pop — to visit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mate — a friend
  13. toast — bread
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wake — a trail
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pop — soda
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fork — in a road
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fork — to eat with

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