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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: suit · nail · fork · tube · spring · fine · hand · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — high quality
  4. suit — clothes
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spring — of water
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fine — all right
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fork — in a road
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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