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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: spell · pit · wave · root · board · fork · last · wake

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pit — a hole
  3. board — to get on
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. last — final
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. last — finally
  10. spell — magic
  11. root — of a plant
  12. last — to go on
  13. board — a committee
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. root — of a word
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fork — in a road
  22. root — the cause
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wake — a trail

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