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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: drill · wave · face · chip · wound · fork · bound · temple

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wound — an injury
  10. face — part of the head
  11. drill — army training
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. face — to confront
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. face — to point toward

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