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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 116 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: tear · wound · fork · scale · saw · ruler · suit · wake

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. tear — to rip
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. scale — in music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ruler — for measuring

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