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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: lie · wave · saw · kid · board · fork · pop · spell

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. kid — child
  4. fork — in a road
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spell — a short time
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. spell — letters
  15. pop — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lie — to recline
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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