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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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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 · wound · file · bowl · present · face · suit · craft

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fork — in a road
  4. present — there
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wound — an injury
  9. craft — boats
  10. present — a gift
  11. face — to confront
  12. suit — in cards
  13. present — the time now
  14. file — a document
  15. face — part of the head
  16. craft — a skill
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. face — to point toward
  23. file — a tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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