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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: fork · stand · row · wound · mouse · hide · wake · stick

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wound — an injury
  14. row — a line
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fork — in a road
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. row — to paddle

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