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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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. fork — in a road
  4. rash — hasty
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bank — of a river
  8. present — a gift
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. bank — for money
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. season — in sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — a series
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fork — to eat with

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