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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. suit — in cards
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — clothes
  10. drill — a practice
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mark — a trace
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bank — of a river
  17. kid — child
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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