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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: wake · fork · date · cold · bay · bear · dip · bank

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. dip — to sink
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cold — not warm
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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