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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: roll · saw · firm · stick · fork · object · cold · fan

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. firm — decided
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. roll — a list
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. object — an aim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cold — an illness
  20. object — a thing
  21. roll — a cake
  22. object — to protest
  23. cold — not warm
  24. roll — on a roll

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