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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — an aim
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — to protest
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — a match
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. object — a thing
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fork — in a road
  24. shower — rain

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