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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · tear · mate · fine · trunk · rash

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rash — a series
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fork — in a road
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fine — all right

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