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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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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: sharp · wake · tube · wave · fine · hide · present · fork

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fork — in a road
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — a container
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. present — the time now
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. present — there
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. present — a gift
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wave — of the sea

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