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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: saw · wake · ruler · arm · bank · cold · bear · fork

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. wake — a trail
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bank — for money
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cold — an illness
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bank — of a river
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bear — to put up with
  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