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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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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: snap · spell · fall · fork · fine · bark · land · bound

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. land — ground
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — letters
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. snap — to click
  12. spell — magic
  13. bound — obliged
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bound — certain
  17. land — a country
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fine — all right
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fall — the season
  23. land — to come down
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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