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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
468
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: object · sharp · bass · mine · wave · wound · root · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. object — to protest
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bass — low music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. root — the cause
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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