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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 120 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: pass · deal · dip · leaves · row · fork · sharp · fall

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fall — the season
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fall — to drop
  7. sharp — clever
  8. row — a line
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pass — a permit

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