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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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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: deal · rest · plane · fork · game · trunk

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. deal — to handle
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rest — a break
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. plane — a tool
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. game — a match
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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