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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: fork · wake · temple · stand · stem · saw · shower · nail

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stand — to bear
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stem — to come from
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fork — in a road
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. shower — rain
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. saw — the tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fork — a garden tool

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