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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. board — a committee
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fall — to drop

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