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

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. last — final
  3. root — of a word
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bank — for money
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. game — wild animals
  15. last — to go on
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bank — of a river
  18. last — finally
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a match
  21. fine — high quality
  22. root — the cause
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fine — all right

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