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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: dip · bark · lie · cold · wave · jam · fork · saw

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cold — not warm
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cold — an illness
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lie — an untruth

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