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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 116 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: sharp · bound · pass · fork · rash · bear · row · root

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — certain
  9. row — a line
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rash — a series
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bound — tied together
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. root — of a word
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. root — the cause

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