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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: fan · firm · wake · saw · rock · cold · present · fork

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cold — not warm
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. firm — a company
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — there
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — decided
  12. present — the time now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — a trail
  15. present — a gift
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. firm — steady
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fan — to cool the air

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