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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: wound · cabinet · content · ruler · craft · fork · sharp · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. content — the amount
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fork — in a road
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — boats
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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