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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 · fan · club · board · fork · dip · nail · leaves

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. club — for golf
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. board — to get on
  16. club — a group
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. snap — to click
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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