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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: snap · bay · kid · club · fan · bear · rash · fork

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rash — hasty
  4. club — a group
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fork — in a road
  15. club — for golf
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. snap — to click
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fan — a supporter

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