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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. perch — the fish
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a document
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. last — finally
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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