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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 116 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: fine · wave · fork · wake · suit · kid · tear · staff

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — high quality
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — all right
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. tear — to rip
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kid — child
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. staff — employees

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