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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · tear · sharp · deal · spell · wake · bark · ball

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bark — to shout
  7. spell — magic
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. spell — a short time
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ball — a dance
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. tear — to rip
  15. spell — letters
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. sharp — clever
  23. deal — to handle
  24. tear — from crying

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