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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. key — for a lock
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. key — the most important part
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fork — in a road
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wake — a trail
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. branch — a division
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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