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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rock — music
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fork — in a road
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. spell — letters
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — a stone
  23. roll — a list
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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