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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: lie · fork · wake · stick · mate · rock · row · bulb

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — to recline
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rock — to move gently

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