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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · sharp · fork · roll · bark · lean · wake · board

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fork — in a road
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. sharp — clever
  13. board — a committee
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. lean — to bend
  16. board — to get on
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lean — thin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. roll — a list
  24. lean — to rest against

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