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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · fork · squash · date · fine · wound · saw · wake

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. object — an aim
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fine — all right
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fine — high quality
  15. object — a thing
  16. squash — to crush
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. squash — the sport
  22. date — the fruit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. object — to protest

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