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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 120 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: wound · racket · wind · rest · fork · stick

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — a break
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — moving air

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