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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · last · wave · bowl · staff · sharp · object · tear

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. object — to protest
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. last — final
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. object — a thing
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tear — from crying
  24. object — an aim

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