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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · leaves · wave · fork · roll · wake · tear · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fork — in a road
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. roll — a cake
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. land — ground
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. roll — a list
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. land — a country
  20. tear — from crying
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. drill — army training
  23. wake — a trail
  24. land — to come down

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