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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wind — moving air
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rush — to hurry

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