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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: mark · spell · row · plane · face · straw · tube · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mark — a trace
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mark — a grade
  22. face — to confront
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. spell — magic

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