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

Word bank: temple · fork · stick · wake · cell · bear

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fork — to eat with

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