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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: fork · row · wave · wound · tear · face · bay · key

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. face — to confront
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. row — to paddle
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tear — to rip
  13. key — in music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. key — for a lock
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tear — from crying
  24. row — a line

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