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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pit — in a race
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. row — a line
  7. branch — a division
  8. object — a thing
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fork — in a road
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. row — a quarrel

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