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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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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: date · saw · spell · present · fall · fork · temple · ruler

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fall — the season
  9. present — a gift
  10. saw — the tool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — the time now
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — a short time
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. present — there
  21. saw — the tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — in a road

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