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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: cue · row · stick · rush · trunk · net · fork · snap

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. snap — to click
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. net — in sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — for catching
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rush — hurry
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. row — to paddle
  24. net — after costs

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