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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: bowl · lie · fork · clip · wave · rock

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. clip — for paper
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lie — to recline
  17. clip — a video
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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