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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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bark — to shout
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. spring — a coil
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spring — of water
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spring — the season
  18. band — a music group
  19. fall — the season
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. band — a ring
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bank — for money

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