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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · wound · spell · rule · wake · calf · ball · fork

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fork — in a road
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a dance
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. rule — a law
  13. ball — a great time
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rule — government
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ball — a round shape

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