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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: suit · fan · kick · fork · roll · pass · mark · wound

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fork — in a road
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — in football
  21. roll — a list
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mark — a grade

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