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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: ruler · fork · spell · firm · wind · saw · tear · season

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. firm — a company
  4. spell — letters
  5. tear — from crying
  6. season — of the year
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tear — from crying
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. firm — decided
  24. tear — to rip

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