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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
468
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: fork · cue · perch · wound · mark · spell · fine · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cue — a signal
  6. spell — letters
  7. fine — all right
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fork — in a road
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — magic
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cue — a hint

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