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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. band — a ring
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. current — happening now
  19. bark — to shout
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. band — a music group
  24. current — electric

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