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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 120 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: can · trunk · swing · club · fork · lie · band · mate

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mate — a partner
  4. band — a music group
  5. fork — in a road
  6. can — a tin
  7. band — a ring
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lie — to recline
  11. club — for golf
  12. swing — music
  13. club — for dancing
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — a group
  20. can — to be able to
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mate — to breed
  24. can — a tin

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