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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: plane · bay · fork · object · wind · suit · sharp · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wind — moving air
  7. sharp — clever
  8. object — a thing
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. plane — a tool
  15. object — an aim
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fine — all right
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fork — in a road
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — to protest
  24. suit — clothes

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