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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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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 · wound · row · rush · hand · leaves · stand · saw

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wound — an injury
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fork — in a road
  13. row — a line
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — help
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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