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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: fork · object · bore · wake · jam · wind · calf · land

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. land — to come down
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wind — moving air
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. object — a thing
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. land — a country
  23. wind — moving air
  24. land — ground

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