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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 120 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fork — in a road
  5. band — a music group
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. object — a thing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. present — the time now
  12. hand — help
  13. snap — to click
  14. band — a ring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. present — a gift
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — there
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. object — an aim
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. hand — in cards

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