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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: roll · race · hand · drill · bear · foot · fork · wave

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — in a road
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. hand — in cards
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. roll — a list
  10. race — humankind
  11. hand — help
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. foot — a measure
  23. drill — army training
  24. wave — with your hand

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