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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 · wind · spell · row · board · shower · fine · leaves

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wind — moving air
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. row — to paddle
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fork — in a road
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spell — letters
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. row — a line
  14. wind — moving air
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. board — a committee
  17. shower — rain
  18. spell — magic
  19. shower — to wash
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. board — to get on

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